Humanism and Its Aspirations
Humanism and Its Aspirations is the most recent of the Humanist Manifestos, published in 2003 by the American Humanist Association. The newest one is much shorter, listing six primary beliefs, which echo themes from its predecessors:
- Knowledge of the world is derived by observation, experimentation, trial and error, and rational analysis.
- The human species is an integral part of nature, the result of unguided evolutionary change.
- Ethical values are derived from human need and interest as tested by experience;
- Life's fulfillment emerges from individual participation in the service of humane ideals;
- Humans are social animals by nature and find meaning in relationships;
- Working to benefit human societies maximizes individual happiness and collective well-being.
Signatories
Academics and other prominent persons were signatories to the document, attesting "We who sign Humanism and Its Aspirations declare ourselves in general agreement with its substance":Notable signatories
- Philip Appleman
- Khoren Arisian
- Bill Baird
- Frank Berger
- Howard Box
- Lester R. Brown
- August E. Brunsman IV
- Rob Buitenweg
- Vern Bullough
- David Bumbaugh
- Matthew Cherry
- Joseph Chuman
- Curt Collier
- Fred Cook
- Carl Coon
- Richard Dawkins
- Charles Debrovner
- Arthur Dobrin
- Margaret Downey
- Sonja Eggerickx
- Riane Eisler
- Albert Ellis
- Edward L. Ericson
- Roy P. Fairfield
- Antony Flew
- Levi Fragell
- Jerome Isaac Friedman
- Arun Gandhi
- Kendyl Gibbons
- Sol Gordon
- Ethelbert Haskins
- Jim Herrick
- Pervez Hoodbhoy
- Fran P. Hosken
- Joan Johnson Lewis
- Stefan Jonasson
- Larry Jones
- Edwin Kagin
- Beth Lamont
- Gerald A. Larue
- Joseph Levee
- Ellen McBride
- Lester Mondale
- Henry Morgentaler
- Stephen D. Mumford
- William Murry
- Sarah Oelberg
- Indumati Parikh
- Philip Paulson
- Katha Pollitt
- Howard Radest
- James "Amazing" Randi
- Larry Reyka
- David Schafer
- Eugenie Scott
- Michael Shermer
- James R. Simpson
- Warren Allen Smith
- Matthew les Spetter
- Oliver Stone
- John Swomley
- Robert Tapp
- Carl Thitchener
- Maureen Thitchener
- Rodrigue Tremblay
- Kurt Vonnegut
- John Weston
- Edward O. Wilson
- Sherwin Wine
Nobel laureates
22 Nobel laureates were among the signatories:- Philip W. Anderson
- Paul D. Boyer
- Owen Chamberlain
- Francis Crick
- Paul J. Crutzen
- Pierre-Gilles de Gennes
- Johann Deisenhofer
- Jerome I. Friedman
- Sheldon Glashow
- David J. Gross
- Herbert A. Hauptman
- Dudley Herschbach
- Harold W. Kroto
- Yuan T. Lee
- Mario J. Molina
- Erwin Neher
- Ilya Prigogine
- Richard J. Roberts
- John E. Sulston
- Henry Taube
- E. Donnall Thomas
- James Dewey Watson
Past AHA presidents
- Edd Doerr
- Michael W. Werner
- Suzanne I. Paul
- Lyle L. Simpson
- Bette Chambers
- Lloyd L. Morain
- Robert W. McCoy
- Vashti McCollum
AHA board members
- Melvin Lipman
- Lois Lyons
- Ronald W. Fegley
- John Nugent
- Wanda Alexander
- John R. Cole
- Tom Ferrick
- Robert D. Finch
- John M. Higgins
- Herb Silverman
- Maddy Urken
- Mike Werner
Drafting committee
- Fred Edwords
- Edd Doerr
- Tony Hileman
- Pat Duffy Hutcheon
- Maddy Urken